about the black tape coming lose on my Sirocco where the carry-handle goes through it. I rubbed super glue on it and it held for a while, but now it is coming lose again. I don’t want it to all come lose and have to peel it all off. Perhaps electrical tape? It’s strictly an aesthetics thing I guess.
If you mean the toggle,
then yes electrical tape will work. The toggle is NOT a carry handle. It is a safety device used to hold onto your boat when you are in the water.
Much better to carry your boat by holding the hull. There is no carry handle on a Sirocco.
Wow…
Learn something everyday. I have been carrying my kayaks by these for years. Does it hurt anything?
my sirocco’s tape is beginning to
come off too. I figure I’ll just strip it off (like u said its for aesthetics only). As for the “toggle” I wouldnt worry about using that as a carrying handle, because thats what it is. Never had a problem w/mine.
good luck
electrical tape won’t last long
– Last Updated: Feb-25-07 10:22 PM EST –
I wish it would, but if it gets wet enough, the overlaps start sliding...
there are tapes for use in conditions on trucks, bicycles and watercraft, similiar to conspicuity tape (traditionally red/silver for DOT regs) but in different colors incl. black, red, yellow. If you eBay try a search for reflective tape... there are some pinstriped tape rolls for trailers, boats and even firetrucks.
3M is the king of tapes, search for diamond quality 3M, it's verrrrry sticky and comes in colors.
Toggles v. Carry Handles
The end toggles are there primarily for safety and hanging onto a boat in the water if you are out of it.
The point a previous post made about not using them for carrying your boat comes from two points:
- You’re much more likely to drop a boat that way, (especially if its loaded)…
- Constant carrying puts extra wear and tear on the toggles…and you may need them some day if you’re trying to hang onto your boat in rough water.
A good way of transporting your boat is to hold the boat under the hull, while keep the opposite hand on the toggle…that way, if you lose the grip on the hull, you’ve still got the toggle as a back up. Not sure if that makes visual sense…a picture is worth a thousand words!
As an added bonus, you may find it a lot more comfortable to carry a boat this way too!
Experts:
I was skeptical about some of your replies so I asked. An official word from Current Design: The toggles ARE for carrying the boat.
bah WTF do they know
Seriously, if your toggles are as tough as they need to be they should be able to take some occasional use as carry handles. I’ve used mine to carry, very little chance of dropping my loaded or unloaded boat when using them as such, and they are still solid.
I sense the next big pnet winter battle topic!
Very good! Could you ask them
what the best color is for a kayak? 
Don’t have enough time with any of my kayaks yet to really know the answer and all of them are between 41 and 46 lbs. In the meantime I’ve kept pretty light touch with them. I definitely don’t use them when loading or unloading. I have used them to pull the kayak if it’s on a cart or onto the shore.
Suppose it depends on the QC of installing fittings like toggles. Some mfgrs might be more “quirky” about that.
Pulling, too
I use the “toggles” or whatever you want to call the handles on the ends of a Loon mostly for pulling it on the cart. It’s a big yellow pull toy and I’m still trying to figure out how to make the wheels make that quacking noise without hurting a local duck. 
When I was paddling my
CURRENT DESIGNS Gulfstream at a class that Derek Hutchinson was teaching (he designed the Gulfstream), he criticized me for using the toggles to carry the boat.
He told me they are a safety device to hang onto your boat when you become a swimmer.
Since he designed the boat, I figure his answer is the best one.
Some work like that
Usually only the ones dangling from holes drilled through the very ends of the hull itself. May be the original concept for these things, and seems like a good thing, even though they do bang on the hull. They can be restrained by bungee but that compromises the in-water grab-ability somewhat.
Then there are the ones that are looped through deck fittings on top, often with very short loops. Those work a lot better for carrying than they do for grabbing while in the water, and are usually called carry toggles.
I drilled holes through the ends of my Caribou to mount them the first way, since the boat came with them mounted the second way.
Mike
first time
I carried a boat by the toggles was a Nordkapp. The long elastic line with the little plastic ring that attaches to the deck lines…well, I lifted the bow up by the toggle, the elastic still attached, stetched to full capacity, damn thing came flyin off the ring and the plastic ring blasted my finger and split it wide open.
Learned my lesson early on.
ouch
that sounds nasty. when i got my Nordkapp last spring i immediately took off that retainer thing. i have no problem personally with the occasional knocking sound from the toggle on the boat.